Monday, February 11, 2013

This one doesn’t need too much of a write-up, but I thought I’d take a minute to talk about some of the products I used to create the look — just a couple thoughts; not full reviews. (I have photos for the full posts, but this might do the trick! Let me know if you’d like to see swatches of anything specific; the only product I know for sure will be going up on its own is the Clarins powder.)

(Because it smells like deliciousness.)

Don’t miss this post on She Said Beauty for the tutorial that goes along with the photos!

I started with the skin; theBalm timeBalm concealer ($18), which I’ve just bought a backup of because I finally hit pan on mine. It only took… what, like, three or four years? I’ve been using it densely to cover up spots, but also blended through the undereye area and around the nose/chin, where skin tends to read a little dark.

Then, for a bit of shape, I adde the Clarins Palette Eclat Face & Blush Powder ($35) (from the Rouge Eclat collection) as a blush — this smells amazing, and the amount of pigment is fantastic, particularly from the strips of colour.

Keeping with the Clarins Rouge Eclat theme for my skin, I tried out their Clarins Poudre Multi-Eclat Mineral Loose Powder in 01 Light ($35), patted on lightly with the included puff and blended in. I know this one promises a luminous matte base, and it definitely delivers on the latter part, but I think I prefer a luminous sheen finish when it comes to glowing skin.

The Mineral Loose Powder gets points in my book for following through on matte promises, and it does wear very comfortably and smoothly, but I feel like the shimmer is just too sparse and obvious for my preferences (not to mention, my super-dry, pale skin). If you want a glow but have an oilier skin type, perhaps!

Finally, the star of this look: Anastasia Beverly Hills Bold & Beautiful Kit ($36). I used only Vol. 1 Bold Brows (there are two palettes in the kit, the other for eyes), and I liked the slim profile and easy-to-use products.

I think the brunette shades are a little too warm for Asian hair/skintones, but I’ve been using this lightly through my brows with an added hint of grey for just the right shade. Anastasia is famous for brows, and the “why” is obvious here: the slightly-ashy powder and warmer brown mousse are very, very versatile, and I can see them working well on both warm- and cool-toned skin with dark blonde to brown hair.

I liked that the palette (despite its small size) includes some more-than-decent mini tweezers and a dual-ended angled brow brush/spoolie, too — literally everything you’d need for your brows on a night out or a week away.

Monday, December 31, 2012

For all of you who still have to sort out your NYE makeup: a tradition (glitter) and a trend (oxblood).

As much as I love glitter in the eye area, I absolutely cannot stand it elsewhere — perhaps sparingly on the lips, but rarely-if-ever my cheeks or skin. So, when it comes to holidays like New Year’s, I rely on my Marcelle Lux Diamond Liquid Eyeliner in Pure Gold. I’ve raved about it before, but with great wear, zero fallout, and absolutely gorgeous glitter particles, it’s one of my (few) must-have products.

The lips in this look are easy to do, but I always encourage taking a few extra minutes to apply — if five minutes more at the mirror will translate into a few extra hours’ wear, why not, right?

Start with primed or bare lips, add a brown-undertoned red lipliner (though the entire lip), and follow up with dark brown-red lipstick. I used Paula Dorf Lip Liner in Tapestry and MAC Lipstick in Desire (last seen worn matte and reviewed), and then followed up by blotting the lip for a less-glossy finish.

One of my go-to tricks is using paper (not tissue!) to blot the lip area, particularly for formulas with a glossy or tacky finish. That way, there’s zero chance that you’ll end up with tissue fibres stuck to your lip area, and you know it’ll be an even press — to get your cupid’s bow, hold the paper on the left and right edges and press lightly against a relaxed pout.

Monday, October 29, 2012

I warned you that there’d be a lot of this black smokey eye this month, but I promise — this is the last post focusing on it! I really loved the look, though, and I wanted to share a step-by-step how-to before leaving it behind and moving on.

(Holy crap, I just realized that contouring is like a push-up bra… for your face. I never anticipated needing to use these words, but: I have to tweet this.)

A smokey eye tutorial with an extra edge

[ What does it even mean to “have edge;” is “edge” actually a thing that you can have? And if it is, is your worth determined by the number of edges you have, or is edge a singular entity of varying size? Is this all just a muddy anecdote having to do with metaphorical sharpness? ]

Start off the look with a black cream base, applying it quickly (before it sets) but not worrying too much about the edges. I used an Annabelle SmudgePaint in Glitzy Black, LE this fall — the creamy texture and solidly-setting formula make it a great choice for a smokey eye, and the intense black-plus-shimmer shade made it perfect for this look.

(Make sure you get it through your lashes, too, or the final look will end up more crazy than classy.)

You’ll need to follow up with a shimmery black powder eyeshadow (or a black eyeshadow and a shimmery one, separately,) so I swatched a few different products and picked the most intense.

I could have gotten a better shimmer density with Dark Soul, but MAC pigments are so finicky to work with — and I didn’t want the look to be all bark with no bite, you know?

I ended up using NYX’s black eyeshadow (ridiculously buttery and pigmented, for the price) layered underneath FaceFront Silver Fox, but we’ll deal with the shimmer in a minute. First, just take the black eyeshadow overtop your cream base, using it to give shape and blend out the cream liner’s harsh(er) edges.

From there, pull the black eyeshadow through your lower lashline, take a step back and re-evaluate: it’ll change how your eyes are weighted, visually, and I often find I have to go back and add height to the eyeshadow on my lids at this point.

Follow up with black liner along your waterlines (if you used a shimmery base, swap it out for something with a cream finish), then move on to filling your brows. Pick something with a bit of a cooler tone, and don’t be afraid to mix a bit of grey into your usual shade to get the right shade!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

I’ve always been a fan of more glamorous Halloween makeup looks; the sort that let you stretch your artistic muscles, but don’t necessarily translate into a character.

So, for this month, I put together three looks that are too over-the-top for everyday wear, but could totally pass at a Halloween party — without necessitating a trip to the local costume store. You’ve already seen the first of the three (last Monday’s vampy statement lips,) but I hope you enjoy this one, too.

Don’t miss the full lace makeup tutorial on She Said Beauty, and keep a lookout on theNotice for the secrets behind this smokey eye (later in the week).

I started the look with a basic black smokey eye; dramatic and glittery on a creme base (Annabelle SmudgePaint in Glitzy Black) and paired it with sculpted cheeks, fresh skin, and (perhaps most importantly) a nude-but-not-too-nude lip: in this case, Have A Lovely Day!, the MAC Casual Colour that I’m so in love with.

Then, for that extra bit of Halloween, I added a lace mask to the look. Rather than pinning actual lace to my hair, I’ve used Sweetart, an easy lace appliqué from the FaceLace range.

I was a bit iffy about the range at first (you want me to pay how much for a piece of lace??), but they might just be worth checking out. The masks stick directly onto the skin, making them less finicky than pinned-in fabric lace, and the flexible vinyl both wears comfortably & holds up to repeated uses.

Monday, October 15, 2012

The cool thing about October being a beauty blogger is that you’re totally allowed to throw whatever on your face, whenever you want to. Not so much with the wherever, but two out of three’s not bad. And then, to top it all off, (because everyone else can technically the whatever-whenever thing,) you get to label it as “work” instead of “whimsy and a lack of impulse-control.”

Anyhow. Here’s a step-by-step photo tutorial to on gothic statement lips, aka “we already did blue and violet ages ago so let’s use red and black and maybe throw some purple in there.” Because everything is better with burgundy and violet. Everything.

Read the full tutorial (albeit with less photos and much less nonsensical rambling personality) here on She Said Beauty.